


Stranger Than Fiction

by DramaticGarbage



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Bookstore AU, Creativitwins, Logince - Freeform, M/M, demus - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:40:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21919219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DramaticGarbage/pseuds/DramaticGarbage
Summary: Declan gets a part time job and meets a sweet - if rather peculiar, regular customer.
Relationships: Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Deceit Sanders
Comments: 10
Kudos: 219





	Stranger Than Fiction

Declan put another book onto the shelf from the cart next to him, letting out a long sigh as he did so. He just did not want to be working at this bookstore. It was nothing against the store itself, and the guy who ran the place was nice enough, if a little cold, but he gave him this job in the first place so he was probably a pretty good guy. 

He’d had a bit of a hard time finding a new job after his last one blew up in his face... Literally and figuratively. There’d been an accident in the kitchen he’d worked in, and he’d taken the brunt of a costly mistake by a new cook who hadn’t quite learned how much watery items didn’t mix with hot fryer oil. Thankfully, there hadn’t been any lasting or serious medical issues, but there was still obvious scarring on half of his face and one of his hands.

It had taken a while for him to completely heal up, and as much as he didn’t want to admit it aloud, he was a bit too nervous to step back into a professional kitchen again just yet. But he still needed to pay the bills, and thankfully he’d found this low impact bookstore job. It wasn’t exactly what he wanted to be doing... But it would have to suffice for the time being. 

With another exaggerated exhale he went back to the task at hand, restocking the shelves in the area he was working in. 

The bookstore that he now worked in, Prince’s Parchments and Publications, was a bit of a unique one for the area. Not only did they sell books, they also had a large selection of stationary and writing supplies, as well as a small café area with tables and seating. It was from this sitting area that he heard someone calling to him. 

“Heeeeey. Hey, new guy. Heeeeey.” Came the voice, Declan realizing after a moment that they were probably calling to him. 

He turned, seeing the source of the sound was a man seated at a table, sitting behind a laptop with a coffee beside him. His face was leaned in his hand with his elbow planted on the table, his wide eyes searching Declan’s form. 

“...Are you talking to me?” He asked, taking in the interesting man. He was certainly a unique one, with his white forelock of hair and a moustache that curled up at the ends. 

“Yep! I haven’t seen you around here before! What’s your name?” 

“Um, Declan. I’m the new... Stock person.” He explained a bit awkwardly. 

“Ooo, neat. I didn’t know they were hiring on anyone new. Well, I’m Remus! I’m here a lot.” Remus explained.

“...Oh, okay. Uh.. Nice to meet you.” Declan answered, politely. He was at work, afterall... And if this man was a regular, it was probably best that he didn’t blow him off or be rude.

“Nice to meet you too! I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot of each other, afterall.” Remus smiled wide, a bit too wide. But Declan just nodded, not sure what to do beyond giving a polite smile in return and going back to his job. 

Normally, an interaction like that wouldn’t have really stuck out to him. But it was clear that not only was Remus the kind person who just seemed to be somewhat unforgettable, he was also completely correct in that they’d be seeing each other a lot. It started off easily enough, they’d exchange greetings when they were in the same area, but it wasn’t long before Remus started talking to him whenever he worked in the section near the sitting area. 

One day when Declan made his way over to clean up some shelves, he noticed Remus looking at his laptop screen and drumming his fingers, clearly trying to think of something. Normally the green-eyed man would be typing away, but today he looked a bit stumped. 

“Morning, Remus.” He said casually. 

Remus glanced up, seeing his new favorite employee and smiling his slightly too wide smile. “Good morning, decky Dec! How’re you?” 

“Mm.. Same as usual, I guess.” He just shrugged, Remus never seemed to call him the same thing twice, and at this point he didn’t he flinch anymore. 

“Mmm...” Remus made a sound in response before letting the noise fade out, being surprisingly quiet while Declan did a bit of work. But that only lasted a few minutes. “Hey, are you smart? You look smart.” 

That was a bit of a surprise, Declan turning to look at him. “Uh, I guess? I don’t really know. Why?” 

“I’m stuck on a word. What’s the one that’s like... When you charm someone? But more like.. Negative intent. Like tricking them or...” He idly fussed with the end of his moustache as he thought aloud. “..I can’t think of it. Like.. Fool or.. Entrance?” 

“...Beguile?” He offered. 

Remus lit up, slapping a hand down on the table. “Yes! Thank you! That’s perfect. You are a magician!” He immediately went back to typing furiously, Declan somewhat surprised at how that had gone over. But he just shrugged and got back to work. 

Curiosity did get the best of him after a few moments, still hearing the familiar clicking of Remus’s keyboard. When he finished the shelf he was working on, he turned over his shoulder to look at him again. He tried not to seem overly interested, asking as casually as possible. “....So what are you working on?” 

Remus paused, looking up at him. “Just a little writing. It’s... Fun for me, I guess. Making stuff up and just seeing where it goes.” 

Declan smiled and answered before his mind could stop him. “Oh yeah? Definitely seems like something you’d be great at.” Once that had slipped out of his mouth he realized what he’d done, feeling a little embarrassed that that was what came so naturally.

The green-eyed man smiled wide, showing off his big toothy grin. “Well aren’t you a charmer?” 

The employee quickly turned back to the shelf, trying to hide the little red that was creeping up his cheeks. Declan sincerely believed that the silence that followed was the absolute worst thing that could have possibly happened at that moment. But as it turned out, he was quite wrong. 

A sound broke the moment, and if it had been a different sound it might have even been welcome to end this awkward silence. Unfortunately, it was the sound of his stomach rumbling. His change in careers as well as some hefty medical bills meant he wasn’t always doing the best monetarily, and at this moment in time it also meant he didn’t always eat lunch. It took several moments for him to build up the courage to look over his shoulder at Remus, unsure if he heard his stomach as well. 

But when he looked, he wasn’t there.

Declan just blinked, completely confused on how a man that noticeable could disappear so entirely. It took him a moment but he got back to working, stocking another shelf before he heard Remus come back. 

“Hey ducky!” 

Declan turned, seeing Remus back in his spot. “Oh, uh.. Yeah?” 

“Come over here for a bit.” Remus smiled, patting the chair next to him at his table. 

“Umm.. I mean, I’m still on the clock. I should probably..” He began, getting a little worried.

“Oh don’t worry about it, if nerdy Wolverine gets mad I’ll take the blame for it. I promise it’ll be just fine.” 

Declan blinked again, unsure how to respond to that one, but he found himself standing and walking over, sitting in the spot. “...Nerdy Wolverine?” 

The other man just laughed. “Logan? He’s your boss, isn’t he?” 

“Ohhh... Yeah, I get it now.” He nodded, allowing himself a small smile. 

“Good. Don’t want to lose you in the shuffle. Now here.” Remus smiled, reaching over and pushing a tray in front of him. 

He looked down, seeing a plate with a sandwich with a bag of chips and an apple on the side, as well as a bottle of tea. “...What’s all this?” 

“I thought I’d grab you some lunch.” Remus shrugged, going back to his laptop. 

Declan wanted to say no, to tell him he didn’t need to do that for him... That he didn’t want him to feel like he had to do that... But he was honestly pretty hungry. And the next thing he knew he was halfway through the meal before him, blushing softly and not looking at the man he was seated with. 

That went over well enough, but he told himself he wouldn’t let that happen again. He didn’t want Remus to feel like he needed handouts. He just needed to make sure to keep it casual, he was working, Remus was a customer. That was the extent of their ‘relationship.’ 

Of course the best laid plans never go as intended. Declan still found himself talking with Remus each day, he had begun to toss him snacks as he worked semi-regularly, he’d even gifted him a new jacket one day when he noticed that the employee’s had a noticeable tear in the back. 

Developing a crush on him certainly wasn’t helping things at all. In fact, it was the exact opposite of what he had been aiming for. What was he supposed to do now? He didn’t want to mess this up, just because Remus was sweet and funny and silly and spontaneous and you never knew what he was gonna say or do next and he was so cu- 

“Um, excuse me?” 

Of course Declan had zoned out thinking about him while he was stocking books, and he had to spin around to greet whoever was speaking to him. 

If he’d been paying more attention, he may have noticed that that voice sounded very familiar. Not exactly the same, but close. However, he had not been. So when he opened his mouth to respond, the words caught in his throat immediately. “Y-”

He couldn’t help but stare at the man standing opposite him. It was Remus, but it wasn’t. He had those same pretty green eyes, the same face shape... But his signature white hair and moustache were missing, along with with that slight wild look in his eye and his juuust too wide smile. 

Taking in all of this information apparently gave not-Remus time to study the employee’s expression in turn. He let out a breath of laughter, smiling softly as he looked over Declan. “...Let me guess, you were expecting the other one?” 

Declan shook his head ever so slightly, trying to clear his thoughts and focus. “Uh, I’m sorry?” 

“Oh no need to be. I’m Roman, I have to assume you know my brother?” He explained, his soft suave smile looking almost wrong on a face so similar to the one he knew. 

“...Oh, yeah. Uh.. Sorry about that. I didn’t realize he was...” 

“A twin?” 

“...Yeah. Sorry. I see him a lot, he’s a.. A regular. I guess I was just thrown off.” Declan apologized.

“I’d say he’s more a lot more than a regular.. I’d actually say he’s irregular, but you know.” Roman laughed. 

Declan smiled a little, Remus certainly was a unique one. But he didn’t quite get what the first thing he said meant. “...You do have a point. But, um... What do you mean by.. More than a regular?” 

“Oh, you don’t know? I mean, he’s technically majority owner of the store.” Roman said, far too casually for the surprise that came with those words. 

“.....what.” He managed, after several moments.

“Yeah, he helped my husband Logan buy this place.” Roman gestured to himself. “Roman Prince, Logan Prince... Prince’s Parchments and Publications? Courtesy of Remus Prince. He doesn’t do any of the numbers or anything, honestly I think Logan would pull his hair out if he touched any of that.” 

Declan blinked, trying to take in all of that information. That was... A lot. “........oh.” 

Roman looked over him for a moment, probably noting the very slight blush to his Declan’s cheeks as he thought. “...Oh anyway, I just wanted to ask real quick, I really never come into the shop so I don’t know where anything is. Where’s the mystery section?” 

“Oh, um... Just two rows over.” He explained, snapping his gaze back to Roman from wherever it had gone when he’d zoned out.

“Cool. Thank you.” Roman gave him a head nod and turned, only taking a few steps before he turned to look back at him over his shoulder. “Oh, also. Have you read those books you’re stocking? You really should, if you haven’t.” 

Declan looked down at what was in his hands, finding it was actually a horror novel. He was stocking in the horror section afterall. He looked back up to ask why, but Roman was already gone. ....What was it with this family? 

It was a few days later that Declan decided to come in on a day off, settling down at a table with the book that Roman had recommended. He wasn’t sure that he’d really read horror before, but he hadn’t had to read too far into the book before it completely sucked him in. He’d never read a story that painted such a complete picture. A completely grotesque and unsettling picture, but a picture nonetheless. It was just entirely engrossing. So much so that he didn’t even realize he’d been joined at the table. 

“Whatcha reading, Deckle of beef?” Came a familiar voice. 

Declan looked up, seeing Remus had settled next to him and was looking at him curiously. 

“Oh, hey Ree. Uhh...” He picked the book up off the table and to look at the cover. “It’s... Seven Minutes in Hell by Duke Summer. It was recommended to me.”

Remus blinked, raising a single eyebrow. It took a moment before he responded. “...Oh, wow. Uh... How is it so far?” He tilted his head to the side, waiting for Declan’s reaction. 

“...It’s honestly amazing, actually. I swear I’ve never been so sucked into a book before. It just... It paints a hell of a picture.” He responded, flipping it back over to rest open on the table. 

Declan looked down to find where he left and placed a finger there, then glanced back up to Remus. His expression was... Odd. And not in his usual odd way. It was more like he was deciding how to respond to that, like he was choosing each word carefully before he spoke it, which was extremely out of character for the strange man.

It took a beat longer than Remus would’ve liked, but eventually he came up with, “...I’ve heard really good things.” Before reaching into his bag and pulling out his laptop. 

The employee just made a small sound of agreement before turning back to his book, falling back into reading as the familiar sound of keyboard clicks faded into the background. 

Declan found out that this author had actually penned quite a few novels, and he found himself steadily making his way through his works. He didn’t know why Roman pegged him for a horror fan, but maybe some people just had that sense about them. 

One downside... Upside? One other thing that occurred from his reading was that he now spent even more time with Remus. He saw him on his work days, he spent time with him on the days off he spent reading, he ate his lunch (that Remus usually bought) with him. And he didn’t really know what to do about it. He enjoyed it. He thoroughly loved the time he spent in his company. 

Once he realized this was becoming far more than a crush, he started to have even more doubts. He couldn’t just say something, he didn’t want to lose this time if he made things weird... He could technically even lose his job if he messed up badly enough. But how could he deny the feelings he had for the sweet man who could always make him laugh, who always so kindly bought him lunch... The jacket he’d given him to replace his old one was easily the warmest and most comfortable one he’d had.

Thinking more on that... Why did he even do those things? No one just... Was kind like that for no reason. That wasn’t how people worked. That wasn’t how society worked. Maybe he was reading the situation wrong. They spent a lot of time together but it wasn’t like they knew each other. And how could he afford to just do these things all the time? Maybe he was just.. He was pitiable, wasn’t he? This was.. This was all because he some charity case. It had to be.

The warm feelings that lived in Declan’s chest only for Remus had a slightly sour edge to them now. He couldn’t let himself fall for him so hard when the most reasonable explanation was just that Remus felt bad for him. 

Declan didn’t change his routine, he didn’t want to draw attention to the things he’d been thinking about. He decided to just quietly keep all of this to himself, to silently attempt to mentally shut out whatever it was that was making him want him so badly. 

The day that he failed to keep all of this under wraps snuck up on him, as it began like any other normal work day. 

Remus came in, settling at his seat and patiently waiting until Declan made his way over to the section. His green eyes lit up as his favorite employee came into view. 

“Morning, Duck Sauce!” Remus smiled, greeting him happily. 

“Morning, Ree.” Declan gave him a nod and slight smile, getting started on his work. 

“I brought something for yoooooou.” He said excitedly, reaching into his bag and pulling out a book. 

Declan froze and took a steading breath before he turned around. “I’ve told you you don’t have to get me things, Remus.” He said as calmly as possible. 

“I know, I know. But you said you couldn’t find that book you wanted! The one that went out of print forever ago.” He explained, holding out the novel with both hands, obviously excited. 

The employee blinked, looking down at the book he held. That was true. He had been making his way through the entirety of the author’s works, but one of his very first novels was extremely hard to find. The copies he’d seen online were rare and expensive, definitely not something he’d be able to spend money on. His eyes traced the cover for a long moment before he looked up at Remus, seeing the sheer excitement in his eyes. 

That was when it all finally bubbled over. He couldn’t stop himself. “....Why do you keep doing these things for me? You don’t have to do this! I don’t even understand how you afford to!” 

Remus flinched back a little, letting his arms fall slightly as he looked down at the book in his hands. “I.. I just.. I want to? And, um.. Well.. I can afford to because, uh.. I’m Duke Summer. I wrote them.” 

Declan’s eyes widened. “...What?” 

“Uh, yeah.. Uh.. I use a pen name. But umm.. It’s just a play on my name. Duke for Prince and Summer is.. It’s kind of Remus backwards. I just added a letter. I.. I should have told you, I just know they’re dark and scary and.. I didn’t know what you’d think when you realized it was me.” He explained, looking a little nervous. 

The employee blinked, that was yet another thing that was a lot to process but he was still too worked up. “Well... What is all this then? Are you just... I don’t know, is this some kind of ego thing? I like your work and you pity me? So you do all these things for me?” 

Remus finally put the book fully down and stood from his seat, looking across at Declan with a look of confusion on his face. “...You think I pity you? Declan.. You confuse pity with... I just.. I really really like you. I’m.. I’m sorry. My brother is the one who’s good at all the romance and the gushy stuff. I’m.. The weird one who makes up all these gorey terrible things and.. I’m not any good at showing the other stuff. I just was trying to be nice because... I really care about you.” His expression had changed as he spoke, becoming much softer, much more vulnerable.

That finally fully stopped Declan in his tracks, staring back at Remus for a long moment. His heart was beating nearly out of his chest, not at all having expected anything like that to be what came out of the author’s mouth. It took far too long, and it came out far too quietly, but he finally uttered, “......I.. I really like you too. I.. I was just worried.. You didn’t like me too.” 

“...Declan..” Remus breathed his name softly, taking a couple steps to close the gap and pull Declan into his chest in a hug, holding him close. 

He immediately brought his arms up, hugging him back, melting into his hold. 

They stood there a long moment, unsure of the time that passed as they just let all the nervousness from this entire time fade away. It was as if nothing else existed in that moment, just the man he held against him. 

There was no chance they’d have noticed the near-silent steps of Logan walking past them, heading up to the front of the store where he met up with Roman, as his husband had stopped by to pick him up for lunch. Logan silently reached into his pocket as he reached him, pulled out his wallet, grabbed a crisp five dollar bill and held it out to his husband. Roman looked down for a moment, registering what had happened before he took it with a triumphant smile and slid it into his pocket before taking Logan’s hand and leading him out of the store. 


End file.
